Spaniards Tierra de Brea. In the way between both were divers little
brooks of fresh water, and one salt river that had store of oysters upon
the branches of the trees, and were very salt and well tasted. All their
oysters grow upon those boughs and sprays, and not on the ground; the
like is commonly seen in other places of the West Indies, and elsewhere.
This tree is described by Andrew Thevet, in his France Antarctique, and
the form figured in the book as a plant very strange; and by Pliny in
his twelfth book of his Natural History. But in this island, as also in
Guiana, there are very many of them.

At this point, called Tierra de Brea or Piche, there is that abundance
of stone pitch that all the ships of the world may be therewith laden
from thence; and we made trial of it in trimming our ships to be most
excellent good, and melteth not with the sun as the pitch of Norway, and
therefore for ships trading the south parts very profitable. From thence
we went to the mountain foot called Annaperima, and so passing the river
Carone, on which the Spanish city was seated, we met with our ships at
Puerto de los Espanoles or Conquerabia.

This island of Trinidad hath the form of a sheephook, and is but narrow;
the north part is very mountainous; the soil is very excellent, and will
bear sugar, ginger, or any other commodity that the Indies yield. It
hath store of deer, wild porks, fruit, fish, and fowl; it hath also for
bread sufficient maize, cassavi, and of those roots and fruits which are
common everywhere in the West Indies. It hath divers beasts which the
Indies have not; the Spaniards confessed that they found grains of gold
in some of the rivers; but they having a purpose to enter Guiana, the
magazine of all rich metals, cared not to spend time in the search
thereof any further. This island is called by the people thereof Cairi,
and in it are divers nations. Those about Parico are called Jajo, those